The present invention relates, in general, to fluid quick connectors which couple male and female connector components.
Snap-fit or quick connectors are employed in a wide range of applications, particularly, for joining fluid carrying conduits in automotive and industrial application. Such quick connectors utilize retainers or locking elements for securing a male connector component, such as a tubular conduit, within a complimentary bore of a female connector component or housing. Such retainers are typically of either the axially-displaceable or radially-displaceable type. The terms xe2x80x9caxially-displaceablexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cradially-displaceablexe2x80x9d are taken relative to the axial bore through the female component.
In a typical quick connector with an axially displaceable, retainer, the retainer is mounted within a bore in a housing of the female connector component of housing. The retainer has a plurality of radially and angularly extending legs which extend inwardly toward the axial center line of the bore in the housing. A tube or male component to be sealingly mounted in the bore in the female component includes a radially upset portion or flange which abuts an inner peripheral surface of the retainer legs. Seal and spacer members as well as a bearing or top hat are typically mounted in the bore ahead of the retainer to form a seal between the housing and the male fitting when the male fitting is lockingly engaged with the retainer legs in the housing.
Radially displaceable retainers are also known in which the retainer is radially displaceable through aligned bores or apertures formed transversely to the main throughbore in the female component housing. The radially displaceable retainer is typically provided with a pair of depending legs which are sized and positioned to slip behind the radially upset portion or flange on the male conduit only when the male connector or conduit is fully seated in the bore in the female component. This ensures a positive locking engagement of the conduit with the female component as well as providing an indication that the conduit is fully seated since the radially displaceable retainer can be fully inserted into the female component only when the conduit has been fully inserted into the bore in the female component.
Regardless of the type of retainer, the female housing or component portion of a fluid connector typically includes an elongated stem having one or more annular barbs spaced from a first end. The barbs provide secure engagement with a hose or conduit which is forced over the barbs to connect the female housing with one end of the conduit.
In certain fluid flow applications, such as vehicle fuel delivery systems, the fast flowing fuel creates a static electric charge which must be dissipated to minimize the danger of explosion. Multi-layer tubes containing an internal electrically conductive layer have been provided for conducting any static charge buildup to an electrical ground connection to thereby dissipate the static charge. In such applications, the housing of quick connectors have been formed with conductive materials to complete a static charge conductive path between the conductive layer in the multi-layer tube connected to one end of the housing and the typically metal or conductive plastic male endform or conduit inserted into the other end of the connector housing.
However, a reliable, continual contact between the endforms and the inner surfaces of the conductive quick connect housing is not always possible due to manufacturing tolerances. This results in intermittent electrical contact which can lead to built up static electricity in the fuel system which, in turn, increases the opportunity for an explosion.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a quick connector which maintains secure electrical contact with an internally received electrically conductive endform.
The present invention is a fluid quick connector with an electrical contact which provides a secure electrical connection between a mated connector body and male endform.
In one aspect, the fluid quick connector is formed of a connector housing having through bore adapted to mate with a male endform. A retainer locks the male endform in the connector housing.
A seal assembly includes at least one of an O-ring, a spacer and/or a top hat which are disposed in the bore of the connector housing to seal the male endform to the connector body.
The electrical contact is provided in the quick connector as a separate element in the bore of the connector housing, such as on one of the spacer or the top hat to provide a secure electrical connection between the male endform and the connector housing when the male endform is mounted in the bore in the connector housing. The contact includes a contact member in the form of a radially inward extending projection carried on an inner surface of the separate element, such as the spacer or the top hat which is adapted to engage an outer surface of the male endform. Since the electrical contact is formed of an electrically conductive material and fixed in position in the connector housing, the electrical contact provides a secure electrical connection between the conductive male endform and the conductive connector housing to form an electrical path to dissipate static electric charge which may build up in the fuel system due to fluid flowing through aligned bores in the male endform and the connector body.
The contact member is at least one projection and, preferably, is plurality of circumferentially spaced projections carried or integrally formed on an inner surface of contacts, such as on the spacer or top hat. An inner end of each projection is disposed at a diameter with respect to the ends of other projections or the surrounding bore in the connector housing which is substantially equal to or slightly greater than the outer diameter of the tip end of the male endform. This insures secure contact between the contact member and the male endform.
The fluid quick connector with the unique electrical contact of the present invention provides a secure electrically conductive path through the quick connector to a remote ground which has heretofore not been continually available fluid in quick connectors. The conductive path is formed by contact members carried on or integrally formed on the contact, such as on the spacer or top hat components in the quick connector. This eliminates the need for additional components to provide the electrically conductive path between the male endform and the connector housing so as to minimize manufacturing costs. Further, the contact member is disposed so as to provide a wiping action when the male endform is inserted into the bore in the connector housing to provide the desired secure, continuous electrical contact between the male endform and the surrounding connector housing. This conductive path finds advantageous use with conduits or multi-layer tubes having an inner electric charge dissipative layer. When such conduits or tubes are fixedly mounted on one end of the connector housing, the inner electric charge dissipative layer is disposed in contact with the conductive connector housing thereby insuring a continuous conductive pathway to ground through the male endform, the connector housing and the conduit or tube.